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Wednesday, January 19, 2011

TRAI to start consultation process on 4-G

Even as the operators are yet to start offering 3-G mobile services the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India will make it public its consultation paper on 4G spectrum to facilitate its introduction by 2012.

The fourth generation or 4G technology offers download at faster speed known as ultra-broadband and high definition video on demand among other such services.

“I expect 4G to come in India next year. TRAI will bring out a consultation paper on 4G in the middle of this year,” TRAI Chairman, J S Sarma told reporters on sidelines of a function organised by Assocham-Deloitte to release a study on Mobile Value Added Services (MVAS).

Sarma also announced that MVAS consultation paper will be put up for comments or suggestions within 15 days to the Government on the way forward in developing the future roadmap for MVAS in India and shall be finalized soon. He also said all the issues related to MVAS to encourage competition and motivate application developers in vernacular languages.

Telecom Regulator further added that the ban on unsolicited call to be implemented from February 1, 2011 and also appealed the all tele market operators to quickly register themselves.

Dilip Modi, President, ASSOCHAM called for a policy framework to be created to ensure that the benefits of utility MVAS could be accrued to every citizen in full measure. He said, “It is imperative that the government / regulatory bodies lay down a vision and set guideline to provide the industry with direction as MVAS can be a serious vehicle to hasten the process of inclusive growth and can aid in identifying priority areas for fund allocation specifically in the areas of governance, health and education.

“Realizing the fact that mobiles today have begun to replace roads in our country it becomes all the more necessary to strengthen and leverage the digital infrastructure in our country. There is immense scope to develop Utility MVAS services in the country that will bring M-education, M-health, M-banking, M-governance, M-agriculture and other mobile services through digital highway to all sections of our population thus helping the economy to grow as whole,” he added.

The study also highlighted, the mobile penetration expected to go up to nearly 100 per cent by 2015 and Mobile Value Added Services (MVAS) to generate `48,000 crore worth of revenue, MVAS is clearly slated to drive the vehicle for inclusive growth in India.source